Project Description:The partnership is a grant-funded effort by the University
of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) and Omaha Public Schools (OPS) to provide a Master’s in
Reading degree tailored to OPS’s instructional framework with the goal of
meeting students’ unique needs in the urban school environment. A blend of UNO
faculty and OPS staff deliver the instruction to the teachers. This “theory
into practice” collaborative project implements evidence-based strategies
proven to increase PK-12 student literacy performance across content areas, as
well as to expand the pool of knowledgeable literacy leaders to support
students and other OPS teachers in their daily work.

Objectives:

Provide opportunities for four cohorts of
teachers over a period of five years (280 teachers) to earn graduate degrees or
endorsements in literacy from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Design and implement a program of study that
enhances teachers’ professional knowledge for working within the context of
OPS’s diverse population of students.

Transfer literacy learning in the OPS/UNO Career
Ladder courses collaboratively to other OPS colleagues through professional
development that is facilitated by the teachers from the project.

Outcomes:

All participants will earn a master’s degree in
reading or an endorsement in reading.

All participants will plan and facilitate 3 hours per month
of professional development, beginning during the spring semester of the first
year and continuing for three years after completion of degree.

There will be changes in teachers’ knowledge,
practices and attitudes of literacy across the curriculum.

There will be increases in teachers’ and their
colleagues’ ability to strategically integrate strategies as identified by the
OPSs’ instructional framework and best practices within and across curricula.

Challenges/Problems Encountered:The intent of creating a critical mass of classroom teachers
from targeted locations has been a challenge of the project. There is a need to
identify barriers for achieving this goal in order to refine the participant
recruitment and selection process. Establishing time and space for key
stakeholders from UNO, OPS, the external evaluator, and project funders to
collaborate on a regular basis is critical to implementing a shared vision and
purpose for the project. Collaborative meetings have assisted the partnership
in addressing logistical issues, as well as institutional differences.

Evaluation Approach:The grant funders hired an external evaluator for the
project to document the development and implementation of various aspects of
the project. Changes in participants’ knowledge, practices and attitudes will
be measured. The sharing of knowledge and practices with other colleagues whom
are not participants in the project will also be an important outcome in
determining the success of the project.

Potential for Replication:University-school district partnerships have great potential
to impact teacher development leading to increased student learning. This
innovative partnership requires that key stakeholders work closely during the
development and throughout the implementation of the project to ensure that
collaboration is mutually beneficial while working toward a shared purpose and
vision.

Additional Resources:

Nancy Edick, Dean, College of Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha (402) 554-2719(402) 554-2719 nedick@unomaha.edu